Portrait Planning Tips
Ways to Look Your Best in Portraits

Preparing for Your Portrait

Remember the objective of this portrait is a beautiful, sensitive portrait, which shows the relationship and personalities of each person in the portrait. For this reason, keep the clothing very subtle - but be careful, so as not to dress anyone in an outfit that is not an expression of their personality, or that they do not want to wear. What you want to avoid is having one person “jump” out of the portrait because he or she is dressed in a lighter or brighter outfit than everyone else. Work for balance, harmony, and color coordination. If you have any questions at all, please call me anytime! If you would like, bring your clothing in and I can help you decide what will work best.

When you discuss the upcoming photographic session with your children, do not instruct them to “smile” or “do exactly as Rodney says”, etc. Simply let them know how excited you are about the photography, and leave everything else to me.

One of the keys to the success of my portraits is my ability to help everyone feel at ease – so don’t worry about anything – everyone will have a great time!

If there is anyone in your family who is particularly worried about photographs, or has a particular problem, be sure to let me know, in private before the portrait. There are countless techniques and special methods which I can use to minimize these problems, so be sure to bring up anything you wish to discuss! The secret to success is communication, I am here to help you, and my only objective is to create an outstanding portrait, which you will treasure forever!

Look Your Best

General
Simple, plain outfits photograph the best, as they are not distracting. The aim is to produce a timeless, beautiful portrait of you, and the best way to begin is to remember to KEEP IT SIMPLE. Your clothes should be plain and simple, not loud and busy. Earth tone colors work great for outdoor photography. Always wear long sleeves. Keep jewelry to a minimum – glare from large or flat jewelry can be a distraction and hard to fix.

Get plenty of rest before your session – if you're tired, it will show.

Don't get burned – avoid over-exposure from the sun or tanning beds.

Glasses
If you wear glasses, be sure to have your optician supply you with empty rims for the day of your portrait, as not only does the light reflect in your glasses, but they can also distort the face-line in some portraits because of the lenses. Contact lenses are no problem.

Women
Make-up: Eye shadow should be applied lightly and with care; the center point of interest in a fine portrait is the eyes. Apply two coats of mascara on both upper and lower lashes. Wear your other make-up as usual. Have all of your make-up with you, in case any minor modification is required. Avoid things like Angel Dust, glitter or other glossy makeup that could reflect light.

Avoid new hair styles.

Skirts should cover the knees.

Men
Be sure to shave just prior to your portrait as there is no way to hide a “five o’clock shadow” in color photography.

Children
Make sure they get plenty of rest. Do not give the children soda pop, candy or anything with sugar or caffeine that could cause restlessness, within three hours prior to the portrait.

Selecting Locations

Any of your favorite locations can be chosen for a shooting location. If you don’t have a favorite place, we have both a traditional studio and outdoor studio garden location available. Just let us know in advance which you prefer.

On-Location
Some of the best locations can be your home, yard or some other favorite location which has importance to you. When selecting a location, a few things should be considered. For best lighting outdoor photography should be scheduled during the “magic hour” – one hour after sunrise or one hour before sunset. If this is not possible then select a location where the sun will be shining on your back at the time of photography. Make sure to get permission or a permit if applicable. Also check the area for general cleanliness and anything in the background that may be undesirable. Consider the environmental elements such as weather, wind, temperature, bugs, mud, etc.

Studio
Studio photography can be scheduled any time of the day. We have a selection of backgrounds that will match most anything you may want to wear. If you are looking for a particular color or look, please let us know in advance.

Studio Garden
We have a lovely outdoor garden available for portraits, and we are directly across from Jim Barnett Park. Outdoor photography should be scheduled within one hour after sunrise or one hour before sunset for best lighting.